The Stand
by LoveADuckMate
Summary: Edward is forced to move across the country with his family; away from everything he's ever known. Sometimes a fresh start is all you need to discover who you really are. LEMONS. AU/AH/OOC/ExJ/Don't like, don't Read. Edited and back to regular updates.
1. Prologue: Welcome

So, here I am. Almost 3000 miles from what used to be my home.

I grew up in the smallest of small towns; Forks, Washington. No, it wasn't much, but I loved it. I'd lived next door to my best friend Bella all of my life. From the time we could talk, we were inseparable. She's the most important person in my life, and now she's on the other side of the country. At least she has Jacob.

Bella and I met Jacob in Jr. High after he transferred to our school. He fit right into our little world, and it was nice to have a guy as a friend. Up until that point, I only had Bella. Pretty soon though, Jr. High turned into High School and our new friend Jacob turned into Bella's boyfriend. Was I jealous? Fuck yes, but it took three weeks of not speaking to either of them to realize why I was jealous. Although Bella and I instantly clicked, it was never more than friendship. I knew that as well as she did. I wasn't jealous because I wanted to be with Bella, but because I just wanted to be with someone.

I tried dating. I went out with a few different girls from school, Lauren, Jessica, even Angela once; before she started dating Ben. They were great, but I felt nothing for them. Trying to explain that to Jessica was a pain. After the first few dates failed, I decided to throw in the towel for now, and just focus on school. I had plenty of time to meet girls in college. Satisfied with my new plan, I got to work. I was a straight A student with a perfect attendance record. I didn't drink, smoke, do drugs or even go to parties. I was every parents dream.

How my parents could do this to me; move me across the country the summer before my senior year, away from the house I'd lived in since the day I was born, from a town that wasn't much, but was everything to me and from my two best and only friends in the world... was a mystery.

A mystery I was currently pondering in the backseat of the car.

We'd pulled up to our new house about 10 minutes ago. I refused to budge; not the smartest idea on my part. It's late May and it's hot. Really hot. Hot and sticky.

Just as I'm about to exit the vehicle, my kid sister, Alice, pounds her fists on the window.

"Mom says to get out of the car! It's an ozone action day. You'll suffocate or something." she yells as she yanks the locked doors handle. I open the door and step out.

"What the fuck is an ozone action day?" I ask her as we make our way to the house.

"I don't know. Something to do with the heat and the pollution mixing together to form a deadly combination. You're supposed to, like, stay out of cars and lock up the elderly. Stuff like that."

"Pollution and gross, sticky, heat. Mom and dad have moved us to death valley." I mumble as I walk up the porch steps.

"Actually, it's the Ohio Valley." Alice corrects in her smart ass tone. "Welcome to Louisville, Kentucky big brother."


	2. Clear Top

**Disclaimer: This story contains sexually explicit content not suitable for those under the age of 18. You have been warned. **  
**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Thanks to all who've commented and put this story on alert! Much love!**

**Thanks mhl1115, for being my beta!  


* * *

**

My first order of business? Getting a job. No way was I going to sit around this house here all summer with Alice and Mr. and Mrs. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. Not even a mile from my neighborhood was a huge shopping center. There was a grocery store, a strip mall, every fast food chain you could think of, a pet store, a novelty shop, and two Starbucks. Wanting to avoid anything that went hand-in-hand with the phrase "Do you want fries with that?" I made a mental note of the places I would apply: a few of the stores in the strip mall, the pet store, Starbucks, the grocery store, and the novelty shop, in that order.

In that order I was denied again and again. _"We're not hiring right now, but apply online and we'll let you know if anything's available_." If I heard it one more time I'd puke. Feeling slightly depressed and very hungry, I started towards home and on the way I stopped to eat at a deli named McAlisters. As I walked in and approached an open register, I noticed the person next to me.

_Well fuck me._

He was tall and slender with dirty-blond curls framing a set of gorgeous green eyes and pink lips puckered around a straw. My cock reacted immediately to the way his Adam's apple bobbed every time he swallowed.

_Wait. What?_

I took a step back when I realized what was happening. Before I could tear my eyes away, he turned his head and met my gaze. At first, he just stared, but soon those perfect lips drew up into a broad smile. He quickly tilted his head to the left, signaling me to look in that direction. I turned and saw the two employees behind the counter staring at me with confused expressions. They'd obviously been trying to get my attention.

"Can I help you sir?" the girl behind the register asked slowly. I shook my head and laughed nervously.

"I uh..."

_What am I doing here again? Jobs! I'm job hunting! _

"I was wondering if you guys were hiring?" It wasn't until after the fact that I remembered I was actually here to eat.

"Oh, sorry, we're not hiring now, but you can fill out an online application. I think we keep them for like three months." I nodded quickly and turned to leave, desperately trying to escape without looking at _him_ again. I hadn't even taken five steps when a smooth, deep voice called out from behind me.

"Hey, you should apply at the movie theater." I stopped, deciding whether or not I should just keep walking out the door, let them all think I'm crazy and never show my face here again. No, I couldn't do that. Slowly, I turned to face him once again. He was leaning casually against the counter, wearing an orange t-shirt that showed off his muscular chest and a pair of loose jeans that hung low on his waist. "The one right across the parking lot." he continued as I focused back on his face. "They're always hiring. Nobody stays there long," he chuckled, "well, except for me, of course."

"Yeah, uh...sounds good. Thanks." I started backing up towards the door, hoping I'd make it out without embarrassing myself any further.

"Just tell them you're a friend of Jasper's." Then, he did the fucking sexiest thing ever: he winked. At me. That's when I felt the blush creeping into my cheeks. I had to get out of here.

"Thanks, um...Jasper," I sputtered pathetically.

"Your welcome..." he trailed off.

_What's my name again?_

"Edward. It's Edward." I answered, my hand now pushing the door behind me open.

"Your welcome, Edward. I'll see you soon. Hopefully." I gave a quick nod, before finally making it out the door. As soon as I knew they couldn't see me anymore, I ran, and I didn't stop until I had slammed and locked my bedroom door. I threw off my sweaty shirt and collapsed on my bed.

_What. The. Fuck?_

Did I just get turned on by a guy? No. There's no way. I'm not gay. I like girls. I've never seriously dated any. Or had sex with any. I've kissed a few. I know I liked it. I know I like girls. Right? Of course I do. Stop thinking so much. I just need to sleep this off. I know I'll be fine in the morning.

* * *

The next day, I felt a lot better about the situation. I was just freaking out over something that was not a big deal, like I usually do. I'm known for overreacting and, considering the fact that my sexual tension is only ever relieved by porn and my own hand, it made sense for me to get a random hard on. I was just a sexually frustrated teenage boy, who needed to get laid. Soon. This whole "find someone you have feelings for" thing wasn't working. I was going to fuck the first girl who showed any interest.

With my renewed sense of determination, I found an application for the movie theater online, printed it, filled it out and made the minute and a half drive to the theater. I spotted guest services as soon as I walked in and quickly made my way to the counter. Sitting inside the small booth was a very attractive girl.

"Hi, how can I help you?"

"Hello... " I paused to glance quickly at her name tag, "Bree. I wanted to drop off this application." Handing her the paper, she quickly filed it in a folder stuffed with dozens of other applications.

"We have a few positions open, but it's kind of a first come, first serve thing here. As you can see" she said gesturing to the folder, "a lot of people apply. So I wouldn't hold your breath." Time to drop names.

"I see. Jasper said you all were hiring."

"You're a friend of Jasper's?" Bree interrupted.

"Um, yeah." I responded uneasily, as the image of the boy from yesterday popped back into my head.

"Just a second." She picked up the phone next to her and hit a few buttons, then waited for someone to answer. "Mr. Dudley? A friend of Jasper's is here looking for a job. Yeah. Um, hold on let me look." She fished through the folder again and pulled my application from the back. "Edward Cullen. Yes. Um, yeah it looks like it. Okay, will do." She hung up the phone and turned back to me. "Do you have time for an interview now?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course." _Well that was fast._

"Follow me." Bree led me through a maze of doors and hallways until we reached the office. She knocked on the door and we both waited. And waited. "They never answer the door, even when they know we're coming," she rolled her eyes and banged heavily on the door once more. This time I heard jingling keys approaching. The door swung open and revealed a man in his mid 30's with a pen in his mouth and a smile on his face.

"What can I do ya for?" the man asked.

"Mr. Dudley, this is Jasper's friend, Edward Cullen." Bree responded.

"Oh, right, right! Come on in Edward." I followed him into the office after he took my application from Bree. "Have a seat there Edward, this shouldn't take too long." I sat down in the chair across from him as he skimmed over the paper in front of him, still chewing on the pen. "Just a few yes or no questions. Do you have reliable transportation?"

"Yes."

"Can you work nights and weekends?"

"Yes."

"Can you work summer Holidays? Like the fourth of July?"

"Yes."

"This position is in concessions, is that okay?"

"Yes, sir."

"Is there any reason I shouldn't hire you?"

"No, sir."

"Alright, orientation will be a week from tomorrow. Be here at 5:00 pm and don't be late! Not that I care, but Mr. Salver will have my ass. He's in charge of concessions and the theaters full-service restaurant, _Jabbers_. He's a douche bag. You'll find that out soon enough. Well, I guess that concludes our interview. Congrats, Edward. You're hired."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Dudley. I won't let you down." I promised as I stood and shook his hand.

"Yeah right. Get outta here."

My parents were ecstatic when I gave them the news that night at dinner. They were '_so happy I'm_ _trying to meet new people_." Really, I was just trying to get away from them. I couldn't even look them in the eye anymore. After dinner, I spent a few hours watching mindless sitcoms and game shows before heading up to my room for the night. I fell into bed and grabbed my cell off the nightstand. I had four messages, all from Bella.

_**How's the Bluegrass State?  
Do they really have blue grass?**_

_**It's been 24 hrs and I still haven't heard from you.  
Did you go all Kurt Cobain on me?**_

_**Approaching 48 hrs now.  
I'm going to call Alice if you don't answer me.**_

_**Alice says you're being an asshole and not speaking to anyone. Stop that.  
Give me the dirt! Are there any hot guys there?**_

_If only she knew..._ I thought to myself as I typed a response.

_**I'm still alive, unlike Kurt.  
No blue grass, that I've seen.  
I'm not being an asshole, I'm just upset.  
Please stop calling Alice behind my back.  
I'm going to bed now. Night Bells. **_

Her response was quick and exactly what I expected.

_**Fine, but if you don't call me tomorrow, I'm calling Esme.  
Jake says hey. **_

I tossed and turned for almost two hours before I gave up on sleep. I remembered at dinner Mom said something about a really nice state park that was only a few miles away. So, at the risk of becoming some pedophiles late night snack, I got dressed, grabbed my keys and a flashlight, and got in my car.

The park was about three minutes away and I could tell immediately that I would be spending a lot of time here. There was a sign at the entrance of the park with arrows pointing in every direction. There was a playground, basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball diamond, camp grounds, and what I was here for, trails. I did a lot of hiking back in Forks. And while I was sure the trails here in the 'foothills' of Kentucky would be nowhere near as challenging, it was better than nothing. I picked the 'Clear Top' route because it seemed to be the longest.

The trail was uphill and dark; really dark. Thick trees and ivy lined the trail and met above me, covering the trail completely and blocking my view of the sky. After about 30 minutes on the trail, I noticed that it suddenly got very bright a few yards in front of me; bright enough that I could turn off my flashlight and see just fine. Finally, this natural 'tunnel' of sorts ended and I was led into a huge clearing at the top of the hill. It was beautiful. The moon was so bright that the entire clearing was illuminated. I looked up into the sky as I walked forward and saw more stars than I'd ever seen before. A clear night in Forks was so very rare and even on those rare nights, I'd never seen the stars shine so bright.

I got to the center of the field and laid down. For the first time, I could pick out constellations that I'd seen in books and see gatherings of tiny little stars that looked like dust in between the bigger ones. The moon seemed to smile at me and for the first time I understood what they meant by 'The Man in The Moon'. I'd never seen anything like it.

"I see you've found my spot." The voice came from nowhere and scared me to death. I shot up from the ground and spun around only to come face to face with _him_. "Whoa, easy there. It's Jasper, from the other day?" I ran a hand through my hair and took a deep breath, trying to slow my heartbeat.

"Jesus Christ! You scared the shit out of me!" I panted, as he walked towards me. "What are you doing here? It's like 3:00 am." He chuckled as he stopped right in front of me, tossing a backpack to the ground.

"I could ask you the same thing. I come up here a lot in the summer. As beautiful as it is, not many people know about it. It's kind of like my secret hide out, I guess." He bent down and unzipped the backpack, pulling out a blanket and spreading it out on the ground.

"Oh, uh well, I didn't mean to intrude. I'll, uh, I'll see you around." I made a move to leave but as I passed him, he reached out and grabbed my hand, stopping me in my tracks.

"You're not intruding at all. Won't you stay?" As soon as my eyes met his, I knew I couldn't refuse. I nodded nervously. He smiled and let go of my hand, sinking down into the soft blanket. He stretched out on his back, one hand behind his head and the other resting on his stomach. I stood there awkwardly for a moment before finally sitting stiffly next to him. "You can relax Edward, I promise I won't bite." I looked down at his face, and as nervous as I was, his smile relaxed me. I laid down on the soft blanket, mirroring his position. For a while we just laid there in silence. He enjoying the beauty and the warmth of the night and me enjoying, yes enjoying, laying so close to him. "So what's your story Edward? I haven't seen you around here before."

"I just moved here from Washington with my family. My dad's a surgeon. He transferred to one of the hospitals here because he's doing a study on hand and foot transplants. Apparently this is where to go for hand transplants." Jasper laughed quietly.

"Indeed it is. The first successful hand transplant was done right here. You'll soon find out that Louisville is a very interesting place. We call it a big city in a small town. Everyone knows each other, or at least knows of each other. Downtown is great. It's big and clean and right on the river. But, take a 20-minute drive south, and your in farmland; acres and acres of beautiful bluegrass."

"Wait, there's really blue grass?" I asked in disbelief.

"Kind of. It's a type of grass that grows all over Kentucky. Early in the morning, when the sun's rising it hits the dew on the grass and makes it look blue. I'll have to take you out to my sister's place sometime and show you. It's quite a site." Jasper turned on his side, propping himself up on his elbow. "So tell me about Washington. Do you miss it?"

"Yeah, I do. I lived in this little town called Forks. It's about a half hour drive from the coast. It rains all the time and if it's not raining, it's cloudy. That's why this place is so cool, I've never seen the stars like this before. I can't even find words to describe how beautiful it is." I turned my head to look up at Jasper. He was giving me a look that sent shivers down my spine and put a knot in my stomach. He slowly reached his hand over to brush a stray hair off my forehead, then trailed it behind my ear and down my neck, finally letting it rest on my chest.

"Me either," he said softly, leaning forward ever so slowly. He stopped an inch away from my face whispering, "Is this okay?" Instead of answering, I did what every inch of my body was screaming for me to do: I closed the inch between us and crashed my lips to his.

The first girl I ever kissed was Bella. We were 11 years old and we both wanted to know what all the fuss was about. We made out a couple of times through middle school, but then she met Jacob and all of that ended. I kissed Lauren once and got to second base with Jessica on numerous occasions. If you would have asked me before this moment if I liked kissing, I would have said yeah, of course I do. But I had no idea what kissing really was until right now.

His lips set every nerve in my body on fire. His arm was around my waist and my hand was buried in his locks, pulling him as close as possible. There was no such thing as close enough. He shifted his weight, pushing me flat on my back and settling between my legs. I could feel every inch of his hard length pressed against me. I broke away from the kiss when I ran out of oxygen, but Jasper's lips never left my skin. He placed open-mouthed kisses along my jaw and down my neck. At the same time his hands traveled down my sides grasping my shirt and pushing it up my torso. I raised my arms and he quickly pulled the shirt up and over my head. As soon as mine was off, I rid him of his as well. His lips traveled from my neck to my collar bone and then down my chest, where he stopped and placed a light kiss on my nipple. Never in a million years would I have thought that could feel so good. I let out a loud moan, encouraging him to continue. He then gently sucked the hardened nub into his mouth, rolling it with his tongue. After a few moments of this, he lightly scraped his teeth over it, sending my body into overdrive.

I bucked my hips into his, seeking any amount of friction I could get. Our hard, denim covered cocks rubbed against each other creating the most delicious sensation and making us both groan in pleasure. Jasper steadied himself with one hand as the other went to my ass, pushing our hips even closer together. I dug my fingers in his hair, bringing his mouth back to mine. Our tongues fought for dominance as we continued to grind against each other.

"Fuck baby, I'm so close." He panted into my mouth.

"God, so am I." Jasper shifted his hips once more, bringing us impossibly closer and I knew that was it. I was gone. "Fuck! Jasper!"

"Edward, baby. Oh God!" We fell over the edge together, holding on so tightly to each other. In a blur of moans and cries, we held on for dear life until we both started to come down. That's when the weight of the situation hit me. My hands fell to my sides and my breathing returned to normal. Jasper started mumbling something as he collapsed on my chest places kisses anywhere he could reach. I couldn't hear a word he was saying. I was frozen. It felt like someone had placed a ton of bricks on my chest. Suddenly, I couldn't catch my breath and all I knew was that I needed to get out of here. Now. I sat up hurriedly, knocking Jasper off of me, grabbed my shirt and stood up.

"Edward? What's wrong?" Jasper asked worriedly. I threw my shirt on and started walking quickly towards the trail.

"This... this was wrong. I have to go. I'm sorry."

"Edward just stop for a second. Talk to me, please!" Jasper begged as he attempted to follow me.

"Just stay here Jasper! I have to leave. This can't happen again! Ever!" I yelled over my shoulder.

"Can you at least tell me what I did?" He pleaded. I stopped at the trail head and took a deep breath. I couldn't even turn around a face him.

"You didn't do anything. I'm... I'm not gay, okay?" I waited for a moment, listening for his response. When it never came, I started down the dark path without another glance behind me.


	3. A Little Less Talk

**Disclaimer: This story contains sexually explicit content not suitable for those under the age of 18. You have been warned.  
I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**For those fans that are even more obsessed then me and actually know when Jaspers birthday is, forgive me, I just made it up.**

**Thanks to all who've commented and put this story on alert! Much love!**

**Thank you mhl1115, for being an awesome beta and making me sound smarter than I really am ;)

* * *

**

I couldn't get last night off my mind. The most amazing sexual experience I've ever had...and it was with a guy; a beautiful, perfect guy. Just remembering the way his body felt pressed against mine made me hard. I've never been attracted to guys before this. What was I supposed to do now? Does this make me gay?

If I were gay, how would I ever tell my parents, the conservative Dr. and Mrs. Cullen? Of course, they didn't discriminate against gay people. They were never mean or harsh. They wouldn't even vote to ban gay marriage. It's just against their personal beliefs. And what they think are my personal beliefs. What I thought were my personal beliefs.

I don't know what I believe any more.

I had one week until I started my new job, the very job that would put me in close proximity with Jasper on what could be a daily basis. I needed to get my shit figured out before then. I needed to figure out how to be friends with the guy who gave me the best orgasm of my life. Fuck.

"Is something wrong with your food, Edward?" My mother asked, gesturing towards the salad in front of me.

"No, It's fine. I just don't feel good. Can we leave now?" I asked as I glanced around at everyone's empty plates. Of all the nice restaurants within a mile of our house, of course my parents would pick this one to eat in, the one where it all started. I glanced around nervously, waiting for him to appear at any moment. I hadn't even touched my salad.

"At least get a box, so you can save that for later." My father instructed.

"Whatever." I replied as I made my way to the counter. I waited impatiently for the woman to find me a box, drumming my fingers on the counter while running my other hand through my hair again and again.

"Hey." The familiar voice came from behind me. _Shit._ I wasn't ready to face him yet, but what could I do? When I turned around, I was shocked at his appearance. His face was solemn with no trace of the bright, happy boy I had met two days ago. His eyes were red and there were dark circles underneath them. His hair was tangled and his shirt, a wrinkled mess. "I was walking home from work," he tilted his head in the direction of the theater, "and I saw you in here." His eyes wandered to where my family sat, talking and laughing with each other. "I didn't mean to interrupt...I just…Edward, we need to talk…about last night."

"I know," I conceded. "Look, can I meet you somewhere later?" Jasper followed my gaze to my family's table. This time they were all staring back at us, bewildered. I rolled my eyes at them, and then focused back on Jasper. He nodded in agreement.

"Let me give you my address. Be there in an hour?" I put his information in my phone, promised him I'd be there, and rejoined my family.

"Who was that?" Alice asked as soon as I sat down. "He looked almost as pathetic as you."

"Shut up, Alice," I hissed.

"Is he a friend of yours, Edward? I didn't realize you'd met anyone yet." My mother chimed in, obviously thrilled at my progress.

"He's just a guy from work. We're going to hang out later."

"Well, that's wonderful son!" My father exclaimed. "We've been here three days and you've already gotten a job and made a new friend. I'm really proud of you Edward." Thankfully, they were ready to leave. As we exited, I glanced back at Jasper. He was still at the counter talking to one of the employees. As if he could feel my eyes on him, he met my gaze and offered a small smile. There was no happiness behind it though, and it only made me regret last night even more. I had to make this right.

* * *

Exactly one hour later, I pulled up in front of a tiny brick house. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, as I walked up the steps and onto the porch. I rang the doorbell and within seconds the door opened. Jasper let me in without a word and motioned for me to follow him, I couldn't help but notice the older woman who appeared to be asleep on the couch as we passed through the living room; or the open bottles of liquor on the coffee table in front of her.

Jasper didn't even acknowledge her existence. He led me down a short, dark hallway and into the only door on the left; his room, I assumed. He closed and locked the door behind us, then sat on the end of his small twin bed. I sat down next to him, still not sure what to say. The silence stretched on for what seemed like hours before I finally said the only thing I could think of.

"I'm sorry."

"Well, I'm not," he replied instantly.

"What?"

"I'm not sorry." I looked up at him, perplexed by his statement. He was staring at the floor, his expression calm and serious as he continued. "Tell me you're not gay, I'll believe you. Tell me you've only ever been into girls and the thought of being with a guy has never crossed your mind and I'll believe that too. But if you sit here and tell me that last night was a mistake, that you didn't feel anything..." he paused to look me right in the eye, "…that it didn't awaken something inside you never even knew existed... then you're a lying son of a bitch." The truth and finality of his statement made me tremble. His sincere eyes bore into mine and I felt it. He was right. I couldn't deny it; there was no point in even trying to. I leaned forward putting my head in my hands and decided to be completely honest.

"Of course I felt something last night, but what does that mean? I'm so confused! Where do I go from here? What am I supposed to do?" Jasper took my hand and lay back on his bed, urging me to follow. I lay facing him; my head on his pillow our faces just inches apart.

"Edward, I've been questioning my sexuality for years. I knew by the time I hit high school that I was... different. I was never attracted to girls, which should be a dead give away, but I honestly never found any guys I was attracted to either. Believe me when I say this; I know how it feels to be confused. But when I saw you at McAlisters and you gave me that look... that look that took my breath away and made my heart skip a beat, that's when I knew. I'm gay." He smiled and laughed lightly. "That's the first time I've said it out loud."

"Really?" This caught me off guard. I assumed from the first time we met that he was openly gay. To find out that he had been this confused and unsure for years surprised and saddened me. He was just as new to this as I was. "So your parents? Your friends? No one knows?"

"I think my sister suspects it, but other than that, no." I reached out slowly, still unsure of my self, and took his hand in mine, interlocking our fingers.

"Are you afraid to tell them?"

"Terrified." he admitted. "My friends will probably just be really shocked. My parents on the other hand... I have no idea how they'll react. Or if I could even get them sober enough to listen to me." Guilt overwhelmed me as I realized how selfish I'd acted. I was so concerned with my own feelings; I never stopped to consider his.

"Jasper I'm so s-"

"Stop. Don't do that. This is a difficult situation for both of us." He brought the back of my hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss there before letting go and moving himself closer to me. "This doesn't have to have a label, Edward. We don't have to broadcast it to the world. But I can't just pretend nothing happened; and you can't either." His eyes closed as he nuzzled my nose with his. "This isn't about our friends or our parents or anyone else. This is about you and me and what we want." He moved his hand to my hip, pushing his fingers just under my shirt to caress the skin. His eyes opened, dark with desire. "I want you Edward. Do you want me?"

"Yes." I answered without hesitation. He tilted his head, just barely touching his lips to mine and whispered into my mouth.

"That's all that matters." And with that, he kissed me. This kiss was so different than our rushed and frantic kisses from last night. It was slow, patient, and willing, so very willing, to be exactly what I needed it to be. He was letting me set the pace; letting me decide how far this would go. After a few minutes of gentle, teasing kisses, I pulled back to look at him.

"So, I got the job at the movie theater. Thanks to you." He smiled brightly, reaching out to take my hand again.

"I heard. Mr. Dudley told me this morning. Apparently Bree hasn't shut up since you came in the other day." I chuckled along with him. "I can't blame her though, you're quite a catch," he said raising his brow. I could feel that embarrassing blush coloring my cheeks again. "So are you excited about the job?"

"Yeah, I am. I've never had a job before, other than mowing lawns and things like that. How long have you worked there?"

"It'll be two years in October. I got the job the day I turned 16 and I've been there ever since."

"Wow. That's impressive. You must really like it." I assumed. Jasper just shrugged.

"It's a job. It helps pay the bills. I've made a lot of friends there; most of my co-workers are great. It's the customers that really get to you, though. You'll find that out soon enough." He winked at me, once again causing my heart to stutter.

We continued to talk for the next few hours, the conversation flowing smoothly. Just lying on his bed, holding hands, touching each other's faces and hair, simply getting to know one another. It was so easy being with him. It felt so right. So natural. When we ran out of things to talk about, we just continued to lie there, staring at each other. After a few minutes of silence, I gathered enough courage to bring up last night again.

"Jasper?" I asked timidly.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever done anything like that before? Like what we did last night?" He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before answering.

"No. No I haven't. I really don't know what got into me. I've never been so forward in my entire life. What about you?"

"No." It was quiet for a few more minutes, both of us reflecting on the event that took place between us. Finally, I spoke up again. "I...I want to do more things... like that...with you." Jaspers answering smile settled my nerves a bit.

"Me too," he replied.

"But, like I said earlier, I have no idea where to go from here. All I know is I've never been this attracted to anyone before." I thought for a moment on how to say this without sounding like an asshole. "There's really no right way to say this. I... I want to be with you, Jasper, but I... don't want people to know...?" It came out sounding like a question. "At least not right now." He squeezed my hand and gave me an encouraging smile.

"I'm not ready to tell people either, Edward. If this works out though, we'll eventually have to let certain people know. But for now? It's just you and me. Okay?" I leaned in and pressed my lips to his with fervor. Showing him how much I appreciated him. Just then, my phone rang, bringing us out of our bubble and back into the real world.

"Hello?"

"Edward," my mothers voice came from the receiver, sounding a tad bit annoyed. "I'm sorry to bother you, but you have a beautiful best friend who's convinced we're trying to wipe your existence from her memory. Would you please call her and tell her your alive?" All I could do was laugh. Bella was always on the paranoid side, but this took the cake.

"Yes, mom, I'll call her on my way home. Thanks for reminding me."

"Your welcome sweetie. Be careful driving home, alright?"

"Alright. See you in a little while." After hanging up with my mother, I told Jasper I needed to be heading home. He grabbed my hand and held it as we walked to the porch. Once again, we passed the sleeping lady and, once again, Jasper pretended she wasn't there. Once we were on the porch and he closed the door behind us and took my hands in his.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" He asked shyly, biting his bottom lip. I simply nodded and leaned in to kiss him goodnight. The kiss was warm, sweet, and affectionate. It sealed our new relationship and opened a door I never knew was there, but would gladly enter; as long as Jasper was by my side.


	4. A Lot More Action

**Disclaimer: This story contains sexually explicit content not suitable for those under the age of 18. You have been warned.  
I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Thanks to all who've commented and put this story on alert! Love you guys!**

**And thank you mhl1115 for crossing my T's and dotting my I's!**

**NOW FOR SOME SEXY MEN!

* * *

**

The last seven days have been...unbelievably wonderful. Jasper and I have spent as much time together as possible. We were really trying to put the physical stuff on the back burner for now and just become friends. Of course, I couldn't help sneaking in a kiss or two here and there, and Jasper loved to hold hands...cuddle...and touch... but nothing like what happened that first night. We had made it a point to take things slow and, in my opinion, we were.

We mostly hung out at the park and my house. I hadn't been back to Jasper's place since the night we sorted things out. He never mentioned the woman on the couch, which I assumed must be his mother. In fact, he hardly talked about his parents at all. I knew his dad used to be a cop, but got injured on the job and hasn't worked since. His mom used to work at a craft store, but she quit when her husband got hurt so she could take care of him. That was all Jasper would say about his parents. When I'd ask something about them he'd either shrug, change the subject, or answer with a simple _'dunno_.'

My parents, on the other hand, came up a lot in conversation. Jasper adored them and they almost immediately thought of him as family. He ate dinner with us on nights he didn't work and usually hung around late watching movies or bad TV. He'd always stay after everyone went to bed, so we could have some _alone time_ before he had to leave. Keeping my hands off him was proving more and more difficult everyday. Today was probably going to be the most difficult day yet; my first day of work.

Orientation was yesterday and it basically consisted of sitting in the birthday party room of the theater, watching a training video for two and a half hours, on tiny chairs meant for 6 year olds. Torture was an understatement. And if that was torture, our first 8-hour shift together should prove to be very interesting. So, I came up with a plan.

I pulled in front of Jaspers house to find him waiting for me on the porch. He quickly jogged to the car and hopped into the passengers seat. He immediately placed his hand on my thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. This was the only physical contact we could have until we made it out of his neighborhood.

"Hey, you ready for today?" He asked, as I sped down the street.

"I think so. I'm a little nervous." I took one of my hands off the steering wheel and placed it on top of his.

"Don't be. It's an easy job and everyone's pretty nice. If someone gives you trouble just tell me and I'll handle them." He glanced around quickly before leaning towards me and pecking my cheek, then whispering in my ear, "No one messes with _my man_."

_Fuck._

I pulled into the first parking lot I saw, which ironically, was a church, then drove behind the building and parked. "What are we doing?" he asked in amusement. Unbuckling my seat belt, I turned towards him, bringing my hands to his face.

"This." I responded before hungrily attacking his lips. Jasper moaned and grabbed my shirt, pulling me closer. His tongue darted out at the same time mine did and we began a slow, sensual dance. One of my hands traveled to his soft hair, pulling it gently. He tilted his head, granting me access to that beautiful neck. At first I placed feather light kisses right under his jaw, but Jasper was having none of that.

"Edward, stop teasing..." he groaned in frustration. I chuckled into his neck, before gently nibbling his ear lobe. Moving my lips just behind his ear, I licked the spot I knew would drive him crazy. The hand that was on the back of my head, gripped my hair tightly, urging me to continue. I parted my lips and sucked on the skin, then softly nipped the sensitive spot. Jasper moaned and pulled my hair almost painfully. I loved the fact that I could do this to him. I pulled back, searching for his lips again, but stopped when something caught my eye. I saw what were clearly four small bruises along his neck. At first I thought I had done it, but we had been really careful about not marking each other. We didn't want any questions from our friends or family.

"Jazz, what happened to your neck?" He quickly pulled away, covering the dark purple spots with his hand. His initial reaction was, what looked to me like fear. He recovered and started laughing nervously.

"Oh, that? I don't really know. I've always got bruises on me. I'm kind of a klutz." He leaned in to kiss me again, but I wasn't convinced. I gripped his chin lightly between my fingers, tilting his head in the opposite direction so I could inspect the other side of his neck. There was another bruise, slightly bigger, but the same shade of dark purple as the others.

"It looks like it hurt. Whatever it was." My finger slowly traced the shape of the bruise. Jasper tugged my hand away from his neck and gave me a half smile.

"I'm fine. I promise." I was about to protest again, but Jasper silenced me with his lips. We kissed slowly for a few more minutes, before he pulled away. "I don't know how I'm going to make it through eight hours without touching you." His statement echoed my thoughts from earlier, which reminded me of my plan.

"Oh, that reminds me!" I said excitedly. I took his hands in mine and blushed a little at what I was about to ask. Hopefully, he wouldn't take it the wrong way. "I was thinking… since we have to work late tonight and you have to be there again early in the morning… maybe, um… do you want to stay the night? With me?"

"What would that entail?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing you don't want it to." I answered in a serious tone. "I'm not ready for us to... you know," he nodded bashfully, "but I am ready to spend more time with you. To fall asleep in your arms and wake up to your beautiful face." He rubbed the backs of my hands with his thumbs.

"That sounds nice." His eyes shifted to my lips so I leaned forward, kissing him tenderly.

"So, you'll stay?" I asked, my lips never fully leaving his.

"Of course." he replied, kissing me one last time before pulling away. "We have to get to work though. You don't wanna be late your first day, do you?"

A few minutes later we pulled up in front of the theater. After clocking in and putting on our hats and _very manly aprons_, we made our way to the concession stand. There was hardly anyone in the theater. I guess Tuesday nights are pretty slow. Since Jasper was a supervisor, it was his job to show me around. He started pointing out different things to me, explaining what they were and how to use them. Popcorn merchandiser, ice cream freezer, espresso machine, nacho warmer, pizza oven, hamburger grill, deep fryers, pretzel oven, Icee machine, and last but certainly not least, the candy display. Instructions on how to use/make/cook everything were posted all over the walls on laminated cards.

"Jazz man!" A voice called from behind us. We turned around to see a guy about our age, but much taller and very muscular, approaching us, arms open wide. He collected Jasper in a bone-crushing hug, lifting his feet right off the floor. "Where ya been buddy? I haven't seen you in over a week." The big guy set him down and stepped back. Jasper just laughed and shook his head before turning to me.

"Edward this is Felix, he's a good friend of mine. He's worked here for about a year, so if you need something when I'm not here just ask him." Felix stuck out his hand and shook mine firmly.

"Nice to meet you Eddie boy. Welcome to Hell!" He let go of my hand, gesturing to our surroundings.

"Come on Felix, it's not that bad." Jasper protested.

"The only thing that makes this job worth while are all the awesome parties we throw. Speaking of which..." he turned back to Jasper, "where the fuck were you on Friday? Maria was looking for you all night. She was totally gonna blow-"

"Felix, I told you. I'm not into Maria like that... she's great, but there's nothing there." Felix rolled his eyes and turned back to me.

"This kid could get more pussy than all the guys in the stand combined. Seriously man, Jazz is a prude." He put his arm around my shoulder, "Either that or he's gay." Felix teased, before he started leading me away. "Come on Eddie boy, you can run for me, while Jazz does his supervisor shit." I glanced at back at Jasper, he gave me a small wave and mouthed the words '_good luck_' as he grabbed a clipboard and started counting candy.

'Running' for Felix basically consisted of filling the orders that he took from customers. All in all it was pretty easy. Felix was a really cool guy. He was completely obsessed with girls, but I guess _most_ 17-year-old boys are. Pretty soon, the night was coming to an end. As Felix and I were helping the last few customers in line, I heard a high-pitched voice yell from across the lobby.

"JAZZY!" I looked up to see a girl skipping over to the stand. She had long blond hair, blue eyes and what most guys would considered a 'great rack.' Jasper was on the outside of the stand, refilling straws and napkins. When the girl finally reached him, she jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. He patted her back, but mostly just looked annoyed. She finally let go of his neck, but never took her hands off of him.

"Hey Maria," Jasper said uneasily.

"Jazzy, you didn't come to my party!" she whined, jutting out her bottom lip in an attempt to look cute. I thought she just looked pathetic. "You promised you were coming!"

"Yeah, sorry about that... Something uh, came up." he responded with a smile and a glance in my direction. I smiled back, remembering Friday night... in my basement... cuddling... kissing...

"And who might this be?" Maria's annoying voice interrupted my thoughts. She walked towards me and stuck out her hand, which I shook politely.

"Edward." I answered simply. Recognition dawned on her face and her smile grew wider.

"So _you're _Edward." She looked me up and down, making me feel very uncomfortable. "Bree was right." She concluded with a wink. "So Edward, think you and Jazzy can come to my party next Friday? I promise it'll be worth your time." I looked over her shoulder at Jasper; he shook his head frantically, mouthing _'no'_ over and over.

"Sorry... Maria is it? Jasper and I already have plans that night. Maybe next time." Looking from me to Jasper, who simply shrugged his shoulders, Maria huffed before stomping away. Felix, who had watched the whole exchange in silence, spoke up for the first time.

"I'll be there, Maria!"

"I don't give a flying fuck!" She yelled over her shoulder. Felix just laughed, unfazed by her words.

"She's firkin' hot isn't she, Eddie?" he asked as Jasper re-entered the stand.

"I guess. She's a bitch though." Felix shook his head and turned to Jasper.

"Where'd ya find this kid, Jazz? He's a hoot." Felix asked, walking behind the stand and disappearing into the kitchen, leaving Jasper and I alone. He waved me over to where he was standing, once I got to him, he pulled me into the corner behind the pretzel oven. I gave him a questioning look.

"It's the only place in the stand the cameras don't see." he explained, before wrapping his arms around my waist and placing his head on my shoulder. "Thanks for getting Maria to leave." I chuckled softly, bringing my lips to his ear.

"No one messes with _my man_."

* * *

It took a little under an hour to close the stand and when we finally got home it was almost midnight. Of course, my parents were still awake, wanting to hear all about my first day of work. When my mom found out Jasper was staying over, she insisted on reheating some leftovers for him. It didn't take much to convince Jasper; he loved her cooking. So while he ate, I went to take a shower and get ready for bed. After my shower I went to my room where my dad was setting up the air mattress.

"What are you doing dad?" I asked as I grabbed some boxers and t-shirts out of my dresser.

"I'm blowing this up so your friend doesn't have to sleep on the floor... duh," he added, trying to be funny.

"You didn't have to do that."

"What, were you going to sleep in the same bed? I doubt either of you would be comfortable with that." He responded in that _all-knowing father_ voice.

"I meant I could have set it up."

"It's not a problem, son. I know you both had a long day at work." He finished with the mattress and walked up to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I'm really proud of you, Edward. You're making the best of a bad situation. I know you weren't happy about moving here, but you've already made a great new friend and now you have a job where you'll make even more friends. Maybe you'll even meet a girl." He said with a wink as he made to leave the room. "I'll let Jasper know the shower's free." He said over his shoulder.

Once I was dressed, I went back to the bathroom to set out some towels, a new toothbrush (my mom always had extras), a pair of my boxers and one of my t-shirts, then went back to my room to wait for him. Sitting on the end of my bed, I went over my plan again. I had an idea of how I wanted things to go tonight. Of course, I wanted to take it slow, but we'd been making out everyday for over a week now. I think we were both in need of a satisfying release.

"Hey." I looked up to see him stepping quietly into the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. He looked at the air mattress, then back to me, raising an eyebrow. "Is that for me?"

"My dad didn't think we'd be _comfortable_ sleeping in the same bed," I explained with a smirk on my face. He walked over to the mattress, plopped down in the middle and stretched out.

"It's comfy," he said with a yawn. "Goodnight, Edward." Deciding to play along, I laid down on my bed, reaching over to turn the light on my nightstand off.

"Goodnight, Jasper." I replied. I rolled on my side, facing away from where he was, waiting for him to join me. After only a minute or so, I couldn't take it any more. "Jasper..." I whined.

"Yes, Edward?" He asked calmly.

"Please..." I begged shamelessly.

"Please what, Edward?" he pushed, wanting me to say it out loud. He asked for it...

"Please come to bed with me," I brought my voice down to a whisper for the next part, "so I can do wicked, wicked things to you." He was quiet for a moment, obviously shocked by my statement.

"Edward," he spoke, a smile apparent in his voice, "I don't think your dad would be _comfortable_ with that."

"Jasper, get your ass in this bed." I commanded. He merely laughed, getting up from the mattress and _finally_ joining me. I immediately put my arms around him, pulling him close to me.

"This is nice." he sighed, burying his head in my chest. I kissed his damp hair and started running my fingertips up and down his spine.

"Jazz?"

"Mhmm?"

"Can we try something? Something we haven't done before?" He sat up a little, meeting my gaze.

"Like what?" he asked curiously. I blushed; hopefully it was too dark for him to notice.

"Can I... touch you?" He didn't answer at first; instead he leaned in and kissed me. He gently sucked my bottom lip in between his, making my cock stir. My tongue swiped across his upper lip, asking for permission to enter, which he granted. Our tongues mingled together as my hands made their way to the hem of his shirt, slowly pushing it up his stomach. I made sure to graze my thumbs over his nipples as I pushed it over his chest. He lifted his arms and pulled away from my lips long enough to get his shirt completely off, before attacking them again.

Our kisses became more and more heated as time went on. Soon enough, his hands were working on getting my shirt off, and I happily raised my arms so he could quickly pull the shirt up and over my head. Once our shirts were out of the way, I knew what my next step would be. Sliding my hand down his chest, I whispered against his lips.

"Tell me to stop and I will." I assured him, his only response was taking my lip between his teeth and tugging on it gently. My hand continued its exploration, pausing momentarily when I reached the waistband of his boxers. I decided to stay above for now and let my hand skim over his hard bulge for the first time. He moaned into my mouth and lightly bucked his hips into my palm. Taking this as a sign to continue, I pushed him onto his back, then slid my fingers into his boxers, pulling them down.

Jasper raised his hips so I could get them all the way off. Before I could do anything else, he pushed me onto my back and pulled my boxers off as well. I rolled us back onto our sides and groaned when our cocks rubbed against each other. Reaching my hand under my pillow, I pulled out the small bottle of lube I kept there. Bella had given me that and a pack of condoms as a gag gift last year for my birthday. Little did she know how handy it had become. I quickly put some in the palm of my hand then snapped the lid shut, leaving the bottle between us. Jasper was too busy with my tongue to realize what I was doing. Hoping that he wouldn't freak out, I gently stroked his length from top to bottom with my slick hand.

"Oh fuck..." he whispered in a husky voice. I started a slow rhythm, squeezing lightly at the base, and then moving back up running my thumb over his tip. His hand searched for something between us and stopped when he found the bottle. I heard him open, the close it before he moved his hand down to my now throbbing erection. I fucking whimpered when he touched me for the first time. The feeling was unlike any other. So much better than my own hand, so much better than porn, and so much better than anything I'd ever done with any girl.

We stroked each other for a while, kissing every now and then, but mostly just panting into each others mouths. Our hands soon picked up speed and I felt that familiar tightening in my balls. I tightened my grip and pumped him even harder, he responded by doing the same to me.

"I'm really close." I whispered.

"Me too" He moaned and thrust his hips into my hand. "Edward... fuck... I'm cumming!" His grip on me tightened even more as his climax overtook him. Feeling his cum on my stomach, hearing him moan in ecstasy and, above all, knowing that I did this to him, sent me over the edge as well.

We continued to stroke each other through our powerful orgasms, letting go when we were able to finally catch our breath. I reached over to grab the towel I had left on the floor from my shower. I cleaned Jasper up first, making sure I got everything off of him, then used it on my self before tossing it into the hamper next to my dresser. Pulling the comforter at the foot of the bed up over us, I tucked Jaspers head under my chin and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

"That was amazing." He mumbled against my chest, already half asleep. I kissed his forehead and ran my fingers through his hair.

"Yes, it was." He was fast asleep within minutes, never stirring through the night. As much as I tried to, I couldn't fall asleep. The excitement of what just happened, of what was to come and most importantly, what it meant, kept me up all night.

As sunlight poured through my windows early the next morning, I sat up slowly, staring at the beautiful man in my bed. I noticed again the small bruises on his neck and leaned in to inspect them closer. They had all turned a light shade of brown, except for the bigger one on the other side, it was still a dark purple. I felt uneasy about them and desperately wanted to know how he'd gotten them.

Then, just like that, it clicked. As dawn slowly rose over Louisville that morning, it finally dawned on me. I brought my hand up to his neck, being careful not to wake him, and wrapped my fingers around his throat. Sure enough, each one of my fingertips lined up perfectly, with each bruise.


	5. You Don't Know Me

**Disclaimer: This story contains sexually explicit content not suitable for those under the age of 18. You have been warned. **  
**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.**

**Wow. It's been awhile. I won't bore you with excuses, RL is just plain cruel sometimes. The next chapter will be up a week from today and weekly or bi-weekly from there on out... This chapter hasn't been beta'd yet, so any mistakes are mine and mine alone. I've missed these boys and this story so much and I'm really glad to be back! **

**Musical inspiration: 'You Don't Know Me' (- Ben Folds ft. Regina Spektor) This song reflects the overall tone of the chapter: How much do E & J really know about each other? Also, 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' (- The Stooges) This song represents the way Jasper is feeling towards the end. Give them both a listen, you won't regret it.**

* * *

If someone had told me three weeks ago, that in less than a month I'd be lying on my bed making out with a guy, I would've called them crazy. I might have even been disgusted; yet here I am, doing that exact thing; very far from disgusted and so very turned on.

I felt Jasper smile against my lips, "If I don't leave right now, I'm going to be extremely late." I sighed thoughtfully, taking his hand in mine.

"I just can't find it in me to care," I told him honestly. Jasper chuckled, kissing the back of my hand. A fading brown mark on his wrist caught my attention. "What's this?" I asked, placing my thumb over the bruise; a perfect fit. Jasper pulled his arm away from my prying eyes, then propped himself up on his elbows.

"I don't know," he answered quickly, "are you picking me up from work?" I let it drop, for now.

"Yes, if you must go, I'll pick you up at six." I answered ruefully. He smiled, leaning down to kiss me again. Right as our lips touched a horn sounded from the driveway. Felix had arrived about ten minutes ago to pick Jasper up; I'd successfully distracted him until now.

"See you tonight." he whispered, before getting up from the bed.

"Six O'clock sharp," I responded as he strolled quickly out the door, closing it behind him. Jasper and I spent all of our free time together.

It was proving more and more difficult to be away from him, even for an afternoon. Luckily, my parents and sister had decided to spend all of next week in Forks, visiting family and friends. The trip was a last minute decision, so I didn't even bother requesting the week off from work. While I was sad I wouldn't get to see Bella, the thought of having Jasper to myself in a big empty house… totally worth it.

My phone rang, bringing me out of my thoughts. It was Bella, of course. It's almost as if she knew I had just been thinking about her.

"Hello Bella," I greeted warmly.

"Hello ass-wipe," She answered, mocking my cheery tone.

"Bella…"

"Are you seriously ditching your oldest friend in the world, whom you haven't seen in almost a month, for some shitty job?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, but I can't request off on such short notice and no one would take my shifts." Seemed like a good enough excuse to me. Bella was one step ahead of me though, like she always was.

"This is same the job that you only wanted because it got you out of the house, right? The job that you don't even need because you're already set for life?" she asked.

"Um, yes," my voice cracked, cluing her into my discomfort. She knew she was on to something. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Yes, any job experience looks good on a resume. I can't drop my responsibilities just because my parents are rich." She was silent a moment, I almost thought I had her.

"What's her name?" Damn her female intuition.

"Bella, I really don't want to talk about this."

"No, you bail on me, I get the dirt. That's how this works. When and where did you meet her?" I knew she wasn't going to let this go, so I chose my words carefully; not wanting to lie to her or tell her the complete truth.

"We met at a restaurant near my house the day after I got here. It was one of those instantaneous attractions, I guess. We hung out the next night and the rest is history."

"Uh huh. So has she stolen your innocence yet?" Bella was never one to equivocate.

"Jesus you're nosey!"

"Come on Edward, give me something!" Keep it vague.

"Fine, we've um, fooled around… but we haven't gone all the way yet. We're taking it slow."

"Slow? You've been there for three week's and you're already dry humping some chick you barely know!"

"I know a lot about hi-… We know a lot about each other. We've gotten really close." I hated having to defend myself, but I knew she was just concerned about me. We've always been really protective of one another. That's what friends are for.

"Well, after the sluts you dated here, I don't really trust your judgment. I think I need to meet this chick... soon. By the way, who's Jasper?" The sound of his name caught me off guard. My breath caught in my throat, making me cough nervously. I reigned in my panic as much as possible before answering her.

"Uh, Jasper? He's just a friend from work. We hang out a lot."

"Alice said he practically lives with you all." Must change subject.

"Why are you talking to Alice?"

"She's my friend to you know," she snapped. "I don't know who to be more jealous of: your fuck buddy or your new best friend."

"We're not fucking! And you'll always be my best friend Bells." I reassured her.

"Alright, I still want to meet both of them. Especially Jasper, Alice says he's sexy in that rough, country-boy way." Understatement.

"You can come visit whenever you want, but right now I need to get in the shower. Say hello to Jake for me okay?"

"You know, you never did tell me your secret lovers name…"

"Good bye Bella."

"UGH! Fine… bye!"I threw my phone on the bed and made my way to the bathroom, glancing at the clock on the way. Only seven hours and forty minutes to go.

* * *

I walked into the theater at six o'clock on the dot. The past eight hours had seemed unbearably long. I was more than ready to get my hands on that beautiful boy. Searching for him behind the concession stand, I was a little surprised when I didn't see him. As I got closer, I did see Jane - Jaspers' best friend.

Jane was great, a little intimidating at times (the phrase "if looks could kill" comes to mind), but a good person at heart. I almost had a melt-down the first time I met her. I recognized her immediately as one of the McAlister's employees from the day I met Jasper; and she recognized me…

_**"Edward," a high pitched voice came from behind me. I turned to find a small but pretty girl walking up to me. I felt my eyes go wide when I realized we'd met before. She gave me a sly grin as she stopped in front of me. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Jane, a good friend of Jaspers; his best friend actually. At least I used to be. I've barely seen him since you moved to town. Why is that I wonder?" I stared at her dumbfounded, my mouth opening and closing, but nothing resembling words coming out. Jane continued to glare at me, her stare seeming to burn my retinas. After what seemed like forever, her expression finally softened. "I've also never seen him this happy. I don't know exactly what's going on, but I know it has something to do with you," she offered me her hand with a content smile, "any friend of Jaspers' is a friend of mine." I finally relaxed and shook her hand._

_"Same here," I replied lamely. Jane just chuckled and walked away.**_

Jasper assured me time and time again that he hadn't told her anything. Even now though, as I approached her, a knowing smile spread across her face.

"Hey Edward. What are you doing here?"

"I'm picking Jazz up, we're supposed to hang out tonight. Is he upstairs or something?" Her expression faltered for a moment before she answered.

"He didn't call you?"

"No, why? Did something happen?" She looked around nervously, checking to see if anyone was within earshot.

"Felix gave him a ride home. They left about an hour ago," she paused, "There was a situation, with his mom."

"Is she okay?" I asked, trying to sound less worried than I really was.

"I'm sure she's fine. This happens a lot."

"What happens a lot?" I questioned. She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, then shook her head.

"It's really not my place to tell you Edward." I dropped my eyes to the counter and nodded. I couldn't help the annoyed sigh that escaped my chest. "My advice," she continued, "let him come to you. It's really hard for him to open up to people."

The thirty second walk to my car was all it took for me to decide to ignore Jane's advice and take matters into my own hands. I spent the short drive to Jaspers' house deep in thought. Why hadn't he called me? What was wrong with his mom? And why did everyone else seem to know but me? By the time I got there, I was almost angry. After taking a calming breath, I exited the car and walked towards the house. My phone buzzed as I climbed the front steps, alerting me of a text message; from Jasper.

**Sorry, problems at home. **  
**I'll call you tonight.**

I ignored the text. I was already here. Without another thought, I rang the doorbell, waiting impatiently and hearing no movement on the other side of the door. I raised my hand to knock, but before my fist could meet the wood, the door swung open. A man with an angry expression stood just inside, looking me up and down before meeting my gaze. He was very tall and extremely muscular. He had short dark hair, nothing like Jaspers' wavy golden locks, but I had no doubt this was his father when I saw his piercing green eyes.

"We don't want any goddamn girl scout cookies." he snapped. My mind went blank for a moment until he started closing the door.

"Wait, Mr. Whitlock? I'm looking for Jasper…" He gave me a scrutinizing look, then looked around me to my car on the street.

"The fuck you want with Jasper?" he asked skeptically, his accent much thicker than Jaspers' subtle twang.

"Dad," Jasper's voice came from somewhere behind his father. I watched as he rounded the corner and walked towards us. As soon as our eyes met, I knew I'd made a huge mistake coming here. The anger radiating from him made me feel about three feet tall. I wanted nothing more than to run away like the scared little boy I was at that moment.

"Jasper who the fuck is this?" Mr. Whitlock demanded. The sound of his father's voice seemed to make the anger shift to fear; fear that mirrored my own. He turned to answer him.

"He's just a friend from work, dad." He cautiously looked back at me, "I can take your shift tomorrow night, so have fun on your camping trip, okay?" He gave me a pointed look. A look that said, "get out of here now".

"Yeah uh, thanks man. I'll see you later." I tried to give him an apologetic look, but he would no longer meet my gaze. I heard the door slam behind me as I walked to my car, followed by muffled shouting.

I still had no idea what had happened.

* * *

Six miserable hours and nearly a dozen text messages later, I hadn't heard a word from Jasper. I had spoken to both Jane and Felix, who assured me he was fine and to stop worrying, but I couldn't.

I wanted to know what happened to his mother. And why his father was so angry. Why Jasper seemed scared to even look me in the eye. Most of all, I wanted to know why he didn't want me to know.

Headlights lit up my room, distracting me from my thoughts. I looked out my window and down to the driveway below. To my relief, Jasper exited the passenger seat of a car that I recognized as Felix's. He paused, probably saying something to Felix, and I took that moment to run downstairs.

I opened the door as he walked up the front steps. A look of surprise crossed his face for just a moment, before it returned to blank and emotionless. He cast his eyes to the floor as he entered the house, not waiting for me as he ascended the staircase. After locking the door I followed after him, having no idea what awaited me and scared to death to find out.

I entered my room to find him standing in front of the window, arms crossed over his chest, and as I stepped closer I noticed his breathing was labored and a little uneven. Once I was close enough, I reached out, placing my hand on the small of his back in an attempt to comfort him. I felt him grow impossibly more tense under my touch, the opposite effect I was going for.

"Jazz…" I tried, but he continued to ignore me, his body practically shaking with whatever emotion was consuming him at the moment. Going against my better judgment, I took another step closer, wrapping my arms around his waist, then pressing my forehead into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. Please talk to me."

Instead of answering he spun around in my arms, grabbing the front of my shirt in his fists. He had his eyes shut tightly, his breath coming in quick shallow pants. He was either going to hit me, or kiss me, and I was willing to let him do either. Anything to make him feel better.

Thankfully, he chose to kiss me. Forcefully parting my lips with his tongue, he dominated the kiss right away. He walked me backwards and pushed me onto the bed. Before joining me, he quickly unbuttoned and stepped out of his jeans, then crawled over me like a predator on the hunt. The look in his eyes told me just how hungry he was and my body immediately responded to that look.

Jaspers' hands slowly ghosted up my sides, taking my shirt along with them. His nose skimmed over the sensitive skin of my abdomen, I sucked in a sharp breath when I felt his tongue dip into my belly button. He continued his journey up my body, pausing momentarily to tease my nipples with his tongue.

Finally, my shirt was pulled completely off, leaving me clad in only my boxers. Once his was cast aside, I let my hands roam; feeling his hard pecs, his defined abs, loving the way he quivered when my fingers brushed a ticklish spot. I felt him shift above me, straddling my hips, then rolling us over; successfully positioning me on top. I settled between his legs, our body's lined up in all the right places, and rocked my hips into his. We both groaned as my cock brushed against his; it was the first sound he'd made since he got here. I pulled back a bit, taking a deep breath to try and clear my lust-filled mind. We really had to talk before this went any further.

Jasper had other ideas.

Before I could stop him, one of his hands slipped past the waist band of my boxers and took hold of my now, painfully hard erection. I moaned at the contact, completely torn; his hand felt so good, but I had spent the last six hours worrying about him. I needed answers. Quickly grabbing his wrist, I removed his hand, pinning it above his head.

"We have to stop." I mumbled against his lips.

"I don't wanna stop," he whispered. Wrapping one of his long legs around my waist, he brought his lips to my ear, "I want you to fuck me, Edward." He thrust his hips into mine for emphasis, and I almost came right then and there, just thinking about sinking into his hot, tight depths. The way he'd moan my name as I drove into him over and over. Being completely connected to him. I whimpered into his neck, taking deep breaths and trying to regain my composure. Not taking him at that very moment was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. Pun intended.

"No," I stated after catching my breath. I gripped his hips firmly with my hands, effectively stilling them.

"Why the fuck not?" He growled. I rolled off of him onto my back, shutting my eyes and trying to will away my raging hard on.

"Because we're not ready. If sex was all I wanted out of this, we would have done it by now, but I want more than that. Christ Jasper, I really care about you!" There was a long stretch of silence. I thought, maybe my admission had freaked him out. What if I'd been wrong to assume this was more than just experimentation on his part? We'd never said before that our feelings toward each other were more than sexual. More than physical attraction, but they were, to me at least. What if he didn't feel the same? My mind was reeling, trying to back track and figure a way out of this.

Then I felt an arm around my waist and a head of soft curls lay against my chest. My arms immediately went around him, holding him to me tightly. We fit together perfectly, and I knew he felt it too.

"I'm sorry, I care about you too." He placed a light kiss on my collar bone, then looked up at me, "I shouldn't have pushed things so far. I'm just upset, I wanted to forget everything for a while. This seemed like the best way." I let one of my hands tangle in his hair, guiding his face up to mine and gave him a chaste, but meaningful kiss.

"I should be the one apologizing, Jazz." He furrowed his brow, not understanding what I meant. I rolled onto my side, so I could face him, then pulled my comforter up over us, "I never should have gone to your house like that. I should have listened to Jane and waited for you to come to me. I guess I was just upset that you didn't trust me enough to be the person you call when you need help. I really want to be that person," I paused thoughtfully, closing my eyes, enjoying the feel of Jasper's fingers playing with my hair. "I thought the past few weeks have been about getting to know each other, but after today, I feel like there's still a lot that you're keeping from me. I want to know everything about you, Jasper; the good and the bad. How can I get you to open up to me?"

He didn't answer me at first; he just moved closer, placing soft kisses all over my face. "It's not that I don't trust you Edward, I do. It's just…" I could feel him tense up, obviously afraid to say what was on his mind. I moved my hand around to his back, trailing my fingers lightly up and down his spine, encouraging him to continue. He let out a deep sigh and relaxed under my touch. "My home life is nothing like yours. I'm… I'm embarrassed. I don't want you to see how I live, or how my parents live."

I had to think about his statement for a moment. I honestly didn't know how to respond to that. Did he really think I was going to judge his lifestyle? Leave him because of something his parents did? Stop caring because he wasn't raised like I was? Instead of choosing the accusatory route, I finally decided to take Jane's advice. Take a step back and let him come to me. Take any information he offered up and show him that none of it would change the way I felt about him.

"How about we go to clear top tomorrow?" I suggested, "I don't work until 5, so we can spend the afternoon up there. I'd really like to talk more about this, about what happened today… but I can't force you to say anything you don't want to. I just want you to know that I'm not going to judge you, and I'm not going to walk away from you. I won't let our pasts ruin our future."

Jasper looked up at me and smiled for the first time that night, "How did I get so lucky?" he wondered aloud. I chuckled and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead.

"I'm the lucky one, babe."


End file.
